Who plays there: An interesting and eclectic mix of up-and-coming bands, hip or soon-to-be-influential names and the acts that first inspired them, from punk to hip-hop. Artists who’ve played in the past few years include Grimes, Caitlin Rose, Fleet Foxes, Eagulls and Fuck Buttons, while more venerable visitors have included Jonathan Richman, Can’s Damo Suzuki, Wire, Tom Tom Club, Misfits and the Charlatans. Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs have played secret gigs at the Hyde Park venue, while the Brudenell’s open-door musical policy occasionally leads to the odd eyebrow-raising curve ball. People still talk fondly of the night a Hawaiian–shirted Black Lace, of Agadoo fame, led 300 hipsters in a conga line.

Cloakroom: No.

Admission: Between £3 and £15, although some gigs are free.

Bar: Circular, serving the venue’s two adjoining rooms. To the left as you enter the venue is a well-equipped live room. To the right is a large drinks and games room, with a big-screen TV, pool table and dartboard, which retains the atmosphere of the Brudenell working men’s club. Drinks are offered at extremely competitive prices, with an array of (often local) real ales from as little as £1.98 for a pint of Theakston’s bitter up to £2.90 for a quality cask beer.

Food: The venue is surrounded by cheap spots to eat, but has recently allowed street-food vans to set up in the car park. Inside, the bars sells crisps and nuts.

Toilets: Slightly rough and ready, but with gig posters on the walls to gaze at while you pee.

Wheelchair access: Yes – the venue usually offers wheelchair users the best place to see and hear from – directly left of the sound desk, near the toilets and close to a fire exit, away from the bustle.

Sound: The venue’s in-house sound system boasts top-spec equipment for a venue this size and offers excellent sound. It's considerably beefier than it would have been in the days when music at the Brudenell usually meant an organist and a live drummer.

Where to stand: When it’s busy, wherever you can. The ground-level venue has a slightly lower dancefloor, accessible by steps, nearest to the stage, and a large standing area around the bar, mixing desk and merchandise stall. Both are good places to see and listen, although avoid standing behind the pillars at the front of the bar area. Unusually, there are no visible security men and no crash barrier: audiences police – and generally behave – themselves.

Overall: The Brudenell has rightly become a legend in the Leeds area and beyond, and this year it was shortlisted for a UK Venue of the Year award by the now-defunct the Fly magazine. Built in 1913 and rescued from financial ruin to become a pop venue in the 1990s, it has become established as the city’s best-loved smaller venue (although, technically, it’s outside the centre, in the student hub of Leeds 6). The Social Club, which has charitable status, retains the friendly, community atmosphere of its origins as a working men's club, offering something different to the increasingly suffocating corporate experience of some venues. Artists often return to play at the Brudenell, where they might be brought cups of tea by older ladies or told off for smoking by general manager Nathan Clark’s mum. Every gig is honoured with a beautiful poster by a local artist. Johnny Marr, who plays at the venue often, told a recent audience that the Brudenell is a “special place”.